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The Dallas defense will have a tough task in Week 1.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) carrie the ball past Dallas Cowboys cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (24) in the second half of an NFL football game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018.(Shaban Athuman / Staff Photographer)

FRISCO - Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli remembers his time as a defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he had to deal with Barry Sanders.

Getting that unit ready for a Hall of Fame running back with deceptive speed, an ability to make defenders miss in space, and someone able to spin out of trouble was a challenge.

Marinelli will see a new-version of Sanders in New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley when the Cowboys open the season against the Giants at AT&T Stadium.

"It's like Barry Sanders," Marinelli said Thursday. "You may have a lot of plays where you keep him to a minimum, five-yards here and then (he) has the ability to break the long one. And you got to be on top of it, detailed the entire game. You got to be disciplined. Guys got to do their job before they release blocks."

Marinelli has seen the improvement in Barkley.

In the team's first meeting last year, Barkley gained just 28 yards on 11 carries, but the Giants threw 16 passes his way. Barkley caught 14 passes for 80 yards. In the second game, Barkley rushed for 109 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown. He also caught four passes for 33 yards.

One of the biggest issues for the Cowboys will be curtailing the big plays Barkley produces. In his rookie year, Barkley had 16 plays of 20 or more yards, including touchdowns of 78, 68, 51 and 50 yards.

"From the first game last year to the last game, we saw a difference," Marinelli said. "I saw him make a terrific jump and that's what good players do.

"He's got great vision but the decisiveness, when it's there for him to take it, in space, he's always tough. He's been tough all (last) year in space. So you got to really work as a defense."

Calvin Watkins. This is my 10th year covering the Dallas Cowboys. This is special for me because I've never reached the 10th year in anything, other than living. So I guess that's something to be proud of.